Automatic fire-alarm system.



No. 630,345. Patentd Aug. 8, I899.

a. c. HALE. AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

(Application filed Dec. 3, 1998. (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heat i.

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7 amen/tea fiza cge C //0/6 h No. 630,345. Patented Aug; 8, I899.

a. c. HALE.

AUTOMATIC I FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

(Application filed Dec. 3, 1898.)

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UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE C. HALE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC FlRE -ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,345, dated. August 8, 1899.

Application filed Dceinber 3, 1898. Serial N0. 698,] '75. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it; ntay ooh/082W:

Be it known that LGEORGE O. HALE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Alarm Systems;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements in automatic fire-alarm apparatus, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby the breaking out of a fire will act to cause the transmission of an audible signal, giving, in tones of the human voice, the exact location of the fire both to parties in the vicinity and,'through the medium of a telephone system, to-parties at distant points who may be in communication with the fire department.

In the drawings,Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view of a fire-alarm system embodying my present improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are de tail views of one arrangement or manner of mounting the phonograph or graphophone transmitter. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one form of thermostat which may be 'advan tageously employed in my improved apparatus and system. r I

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the invention it may, generally considered, be briefly described as follows: In each of the rooms or apartments of a building .in which my fire-alarm system is introduced is arranged a suitable number of thermostats,

so arranged as to act only upon such a rise in the temperature as accompanies the breaking out of a fire. Any suitable form of thermostat may be employed. I prefer to employ one of the form illustrated in detail in Fig. 5, it consisting of two metallic bars or spring-like bands at a. These are bowed or curved oppositely to each other and have their ends connected to asuitable insulatingsupport a Each of the bars a a is provided on its inner surface with a lug or. stud 0, and these serve as supports for a pivot-piece a and an ad justing-screw a The bar (US connected with one side of an electric circuit and the bar awith the opposite side of said circuit, which is completed through the pivotpiece a and pin or screw (1 When subjected to more than a predetermined degree of heat, the bars 0b a will be separated a greater distance at their middle and the electrical connection through the parts a a will be broken.

These thermostats are included in oneor more local electric circuits, each of which includes also as many independent normallyenergized magnets as there are apartments or rooms having their thermostats in that particular circuit. To the armatures of said magnets in these local circuits are connected the transmitters or reproducers of a series of graphophone or phonograph cylinders, each of which bears a record giving the location of the particular portion of the building through which the thermostats on the particular circuit controlling the reproducer for that record are arranged. The breaking of any one of said local circuits by the action of a thermostat or other means included therein releases said armatures, and thereby allows the transmitters or reproducers to fall into operative position on their respective cylinders. Said reproducers or transmitters are connected with a speaking tube or con duit leading to some selected portion of the building (as to the office of a hotel, the

watohmans room in astorehouse or business building, 850.) or have an outletthrough an outer wall of the building, and said conduit is also connected with a telephone-transmitter which is included in the regular telephone system, whereby the operator at the central or exchange oliice of such system will be instantly notified of the exact location of a fire.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures, A A A designate three groups or sets of thermostats, I having for purposes of illustration shown my improved system as applied to a building three stories high and as having a separate independent circuit and signaling apparatus for each floor. The thermostats A, which, for example, are arranged on the third floor of the building, are included in a local circuit independent of the circuit-including the thermostats A on the second floor or those indicated by A on the first floor, although, as illustrated, a single battery B may be the source of current for all of said circuits.

In each of the above-described thermostatic circuits is included an electromagnet O, as will be plain by an examination of Fig. 1. These circuits are normally closed, and therefore the armatures .0 connect the poles of their respective magnets O. A switch D is arranged in each of the local circuits referred to, whereby either of such circuits may be manually broken and the signal lnechanism set in operation, in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed, when desired. The magnets C may be arranged at any desired point relative to the thermostats A A A Preferably all of said magnets are arranged in close proxiinity to each other in the room or inclosurc wherein is situated the graphophone or phonographic signal device. This consists of a series of cylinders E E E all mounted on a common shaft F. The shaft F is provided with a gear-pinion f, with which meshes a gear f, mounted on a driving-shaft F. To this last shaft is connected at suitable motor If desired, this motor maybe a continuously-acting motor; but I preferto drive the phonograph-cylinders,intermittentl y or only when'analarm is to be sent in, and therefore have provided a stop or like device, that will be hereinafterdescribed. Each cylinder bears a suitable recordfor example, the location of the building to which the system isapplied and in addition the particular portion'of that buiding wherein are located the thermostats of that particular local circuit which controls the position of the transmitter or reproducer G adapted, to transmit that record.

Various forms of connection between the armatures O and the reproducers G may be provided. In the embodiment ofthe invention herein illustrated each of said armatures is carried by an arm or standard whichis pivotally mounted on or connected with the back plate or base-piece c of the magnet, and the armature (3 of each magnet is'connected, by means of a link 0 with one of the graphoph'one transmitters or'reproducers G.

These are pivotally supported, and the links (J are of such length that normaily when'the magnets O are energized and the armatures 0' thereof against the poles the points 9 of the reproducers G will be held out of contact withthe records on the cylinders E E E as shown'in Fig. 3.

Any suitable pivoted mounting may be providedfor the transmitters or reproducers G; but at present I prefer to mount the same upon the .tube or conduit H, by which the sound signals produced from the graphophone-records are transmitted to the telephonic distributing system. As shown most clearly in Fig. 3 of-the drawings, the tubular stem or body of each reproduc'er'or transmitter G is provided with laterally-extending tnbular trunnion-like portions G and these extend into the ends of adjacent sections of the 2 Gd lti tube or duct H. Thetube'H is shown as extending from points adjacent to the cylinders E E E to a mouthpiece K,which opens through on outer wall of the building, so that any signal produced by either of said cylinders will be audible to a person passing or standing in the vicinity of said outlet K. With said tube or duct H is also connected an ordinary telephone-transmitter L, such connection being, in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, accomplished through a branch duct H. This transmitter L is arranged in an electric circuit which includes also a magneto-electro generator M and is adapted, as will be hereinafter described, to be connected with the regular line or circuit connecting the telephone N with a central or exchange oflice.

To the shaft m of the generator M is geared a suitable motor 0, and a brake or. stop'device P is provided for normally preventing rotation of said shaft, This stop device is shown as consisting of a bell-crank lever, one arm of which is adapted to engage with said shaft, while the other arm is connected with a leverarm Q. To this arm is also connected one arm of a bell-crank lever P, the other arm of mission of signals produced by the breaking of either of the hereinbefore-described local circuits,'1nay be'termed the common circuit, is connected with the armatures C of the localscircuit magnets O, and the other wire 8 is connected with a series of contact points or studs T, one being arranged adjacent to and in the path of each one of the said armatures O. The armature S of the magnet R is pivotally supported and is normally, by the action of springs U U, held in engagement with the aforesaid lever-arm Q.

Whenever either of the local circuits is broken by the action of a thermostat or the manually-movable switch therein, the armature C of the magnet O in that circuit, being released by gravity through the pull exerted by the reproducer G connected therewith, falls against its coacting contact-point T, and thereby connects the wires 8 s and energizes the magnet R. The latter draws thearmature S thereof out of engagement with and from the path of the lever arm Q, which under the force or pull of the spring U is moved against two contact-points V V, which are arranged at the terminals of wires '0 n, that are connected with the wires "w to, leading from the telephone N. Such movement of the lever-arm Q also releases the shaft F and the magneto-generator M, and the action of the latter rings the call-bell of the telephone N, which call being transmitted over the wires to w notifies the operator at the central oflice that connection for the purpose of transmitting speech should be made with the telephone N. As soon as such connection is made i the record on the particular graphophone- 'neto M causes a current to pass over the wire 1 to the wire 2 of the regular telephone-circuit and through the signal apparatus in the central office back over line-wire 3 and wire w to contact V and thence to the magnetogenerator over or through lever Q and the wire connecting it with the said generator. A portion of this current also passes through the subscribers instrument N, ringing the signal thereon The local current of the transmitter L is as follows: from the transmitter to the battery S, then through lever Q to contact V, and from there through the primary circuit 5 of the inductive coil and over wire 6 back to the transmitter. This induces a current in the secondary circuit of the induction-coil, which travels over the wire 7 through a condenser or resistance at 10 and the wire to to one side of the main telephone-circuit. The secondary current returns over the opposite side of said main circuit to the wire w and through the contact V and lever Q back to contact V and wire 4),

that is connected with the secondary of the The operator in the central induction-coil. or exchange office is thus advised of the exact location of the fire and can notify the fire department or connect the telephone N with the telephone at the fire-department headquarters, so that the signal will be transmitted directly from the burning building to the fire department. The signal will be repeated untilthe motor F has run down, and simultaneousl y with the transmission of the signal over the telephone system it will be delivered through the conduit or tube H and outlet K.

It is to be understood that the telephone N I is the regular office or business instrument employed for the transmission of all telephonic messages, and one of the important advantages incident to my system is that I am able to employ the regular telephone-exchange system to be found in all cities for transmitting firealarm signals.

. Of course if desired to connect the abovedescribed signaling mechanism with the firedepartment headquarters, for example, di-

rectwithout going through the telephone exchange or central office, as I have pointed out, or where there is no established telephone system, a separate circuit would be estab-' lished for conducting the signal from the transmitter L.

By the term graphophone or phonograph herein I mean to include any of the various forms of apparatus now known for reproducing the human voice or other sounds which may be adapted for use in my improved system.

I do not herein make any claim to the specific construction of the thermostat illustrated in the drawings as adapted for use with my improved signal apparatus.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic fire-alarm apparatus, the combination of a telephone system,a thermostat, a phonograph having a cylinder bearing a record indicating the location of the thermostat, means controlled by the thermostat for normally holding the reproducer of the phonograph in inoperative position, and a transmitter in the telephone system adapted to receive vibrations from the phonograph, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic fire-alarm apparatus, the combination of a telephone system or 'circuit, a series of electric circuits each including a suitable number of thermostats, a series of phonographs corresponding in nu mber to the number of said circuits and each having-on its cylinder a record indicating the location of the thermostats in the circuit with which that phonograph is associated, means, controlled by said circuits for normally holding the phonograph-reproducers in inactive positions, a transmitter arranged in the telephone-circuit, and a conduit or tube connectin g each of the phonograph-reproducers with said transmitter, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic fire-alarm apparatus and system, the combination of a telephone system, a thermostat, a normally closed electric circuit including the thermostat, a phonograph having on its cylinder a record indicating the location of the thermostat, means for normally holding said cylinder stationary, a normally open electric circuit adapted to be closed when the thermostatic circuit is broken and when closed to release the locking means of the phonograph-cylinder, and a transmitter arranged in the telephone-circuit and adapted to receive vibrations from the phonograph, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an automatic fire-alarm apparatus and system, the combination of a telephone system or circuit, a series of local electric circuits, each including a suitable number of thermostats, a series of phonographs corresponding in number to said local circuits and each having on its cylinder a record containing information as to the location of the thermostats in that circuit with which the particular phonograph is associated, means for normally locking said phonograph-cylinders against rotation, an electric circuit comh g on its y indet a ecord giving theleeetieh ef. the h -nieste n eleetr e einen ineletling the th m sta means eent el ed by said circuit for holding the rapt-Gau e! f the phonog aph in an naetive pee tienh te phene-trens-initter arranged e receive vibre .tigng frQl l the phenegreph, end enether elee this ei ehit inc udi g said t ansmitte end adapted, upon the. eetien .ef the thermostat .te

eenheet eeid hen neitte ith the t ephone eyetem, eehe entiel y ee eet fe thi.

In. em. entenee iefi e-e erh eighe firme mites and sy tem, the eenibinetien of e. t le- 1 phone y a henm etet, epheneg anhhaving n ts. eylinde e reeerd gi ing t e eeetien .ef the thermostat, an electric eir m' t hehiding- .the thermo tat an devices. e ne i the meliy helding reprediieene the P 101 12 ien, newer de iees phylihdemneans er m ntally helding the eylind r ste ehery,

t e. in enete genera er eenneeted wi h tele itev eee, end. ier eenhee ing eeid telep p ehe nv the teleph he system, a meter e w ng we gehe eter, hie-ens e enmelly heLihg eeid gen rator statione y, a t 1.e-

'nhene-t enehiitter enrengee t0 reeeive seenelvihretiene from the nhehegreph, end enether ele tnieehreni including means fereetneting he step deviee fe the phenegrenh and. magneteenereter met re, and ede.pted.,-en. t ee en e the t enmeetet, o release aid etep hnt eennee the phen eg-reph treh mitterwith the. te ephene system e hetehtiel y as eet, teeth.

. tat, eleetirie ei renitine etling-thetheei Ines at end eh ieetre hegnet, nhenegheph; he its ylinder eerd giying the. .lee ie he thenheetet,ee neetiene betw en ep dneei ef the transmitte h eby they latter is normally he d in en ine-e- "e peeir. tien powe demeee for rotating t .feneett ng in nnetien he phen g eph he. er

ttene nitter w th. he te ephehe. eystenh. etentielly se .fer ht 8- In en. ehtemeti fir -elem s gneleppeetne and ys em, he elnh net n of a t eevmostat, a phonograph having Q11 its cylinder a ecord giving the leeetien of the therme et, pewer device-s fer retating the phenograph-eyli deit, means controlled by the therinee'tet 01? ermel y holding the phoneg aph man er out of contact withthe cyl'indbl",

and a epeakihg tube o con uit leading from t e phenegreph prodneen, substantially as set rth...

11.0 In an euteniet e t e emn ign l p aths a d sys em; the cembinetien 9 e th mostat, e phonograph hev gen teeylinde a IFQQQIQ giv ng th'eleeaitien efthe thermostat, means. c tro led. by the thenmestet for set- 1 ting the phonegraph in motion, and a tuhee eenduit le ng from. th p e egreph t0 the exterior of thebuildihg ove'pertment in which the app ratus is placed, substantially a s tenth.

1.1-. In. a automatic fire-alarm signal apperams the .eemhinattiene a thermostat, a pheneg eph-ey ind b a ing a ecord giving the eeetien. of the thermos at, en eleetrie c r n ludi g the thermostat and en eleetroma het, .n p 'vetelly neunted .enmetune for said magnet, a piv tally-meu ted repredueer for the phenegrephey nder, a l k ee-nheeting the said pivo ed air-mature th the rep ednee mea s eentrelled hy he thermostat- .eirenit. for dn ving the phenegrephhyhnder, and e epeeking-tnbe lead ng fireih the ph nogreph-ren dnee subs antial y as set for h. 1 In. a firehlarni ppara us, the eemhinatien ef e se es o he in esta a ser-ieee phonegreph each having n itseylinder record giving the location of. eneof the thermeethts, e greepe e thermostats, a tube er eenduit arranged edje-eent to the p on r ph fo '7. In an ehtemetie fire-alarm signal eppe- 3 rates. and. .syetem, h eeneh hetieh of e he i i messages or signals therefrem,. the re p edeeers 0 t e phonograph being p ovided with lateral y-pr jecting, tubular, trunniens that engage with adjace t eeetiene .e hi Bu -6, eenneetiens between the ,the mestats v 3' and. phonogr p erepr iiue xs whe eby h the. if-ne .tn e oi the e ee -m gne en the? le te 'ere normally held out. of een eetwith the reepeetivezeylinde ls, and means.v contro e by th thenme zte e er drivi g the phenoreph ey inders, ubstantial y as, setferth. et ph-eyhnee elephene sy tem, a. tele- 'phehe tten mitt arrange t reee v -se uhd- 3-. In an. e einetie fi e-alarm. signal apperaths and. system, the combination e f e telephen-e system, a seirieeef: hermea hteeserie ef. eeel no mal y elesed-eleet ie eireuite, eeeh cluding one or more o said the-nnioetets, j and an leqt-re neghet, e. manual sw tch in ea h Qt seiil eee eiren-i e, a. series at phone'- grap s, ee espondihg in nm ih nto. the loca eire te, eeeh he g eh s. y inder at. record v ng h eeet en of the. thermostat in t local circuit. with which that. phonograph is means for normally holding said power devices stationary and preventing action of the magneto-generator, a normally open electric circuit, adapted to be closed by the breaking of either of the local circuits, said circuit including said stop, and a branch circuit adapted to connect the transmitter, L, with the telephone system, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE C. HALE. Witnesses:

J. E. LATHAM, LoUIs RoBIDoUX. 

